Father and Son Build Their Own Tiny Home

Architects William Yudchitz of Revelations Architects/Builders and his son Daniel recently completed an awesome off-the-grid tiny house, which they plan to use as a family getaway. It is located on the scenic shores of Lake Superior in Wisconsin and should offer a relaxing getaway. The cabin is called NEST, and is located only 130 feet away their previous tiny home project E.D.G.E (Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment), which they use as a winter family home. They plan to use NEST as a summer house.

The NEST cabin measures 9 by 10 feet and is 12 feet high. It is clad in black metal that has a Kynar coating. The home offers amazing views of the lake courtesy of large glass patio doors. There are also large wood slated doors, which are used as added security for when the home is not inhabited. But when the cabin is in use, these doors swing out to create a closed off porch.

The interior is spacious enough to sleep four people. The living area and bathroom are located on the lower level, while the master bedroom is located in a 9 by 5 foot loft, which is accessible via a ladder. To maximize available space, the dining table can be stored away when not needed, while there is also a Murphy-type fold up bed hidden in a wall downstairs. There is another ladder that leads from the loft to the roof-top observation deck, which is located above the porch.

To make the cabin capable of functioning off the grid, they installed a rainwater collection system, which uses sand to filter the water and feeds an outdoor shower. The house is also equipped with a composting toilet. They used a lot of salvaged materials to build the home, so it cost them only around $20,000 to construct this cabin. They built it themselves on the weekends and it took about a year to finish it. Despite not being trained carpenters they managed just fine.

The biggest challenge was, in fact, obtaining the land, since most plots around the lake have a minimum size requirement when it comes to constructing new houses. In the end they managed to obtain a 2.78-acre for $52,500.